The Shadows
by Oz the Magician
Summary: A town with a secret war against horrid monsters. Children to young adults being used as soldiers. Hi, I'm Naomi Walker and welcome to my life. Please read :D
1. Chapter 1

**This story was inspired by a dream i has. The Prologue basically just explains what's going on and shortly below it chapter 1 begins, still the story will make much more sense with the prologue being read. Please review!**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

_It__ had been about midnight that it began and the town was painted with beautifully dark colors. The town was completely silent, not a person in sight. It was strange, in most cities people are still out at night. Cities usually don't sleep. But, this one is different. It always has been and always will be. In our town, walking around after sundown is like asking to die. Night is off limits. It wasn't always like that, though._

_A few years before I was born, a new type of organism was found called shadows. They were like an animal humanoid crossbreed when it came to their genetics. Shadows had the mind set of wild, crazed animal yet the build of human. Their appearance was like a soul sucking black silhouette with beady golden yellow eyes. They were strong too. They were stronger, faster, and more agile than any human could hope to become. No one knew where they came from, or why they were only coming to our town. All we knew it they we out for blood. _

_Luckily, shortly after the shadows presence was made known. The town had learned that these creatures had one fatal drawback. Shadows were only able to come out at night. However, this didn't stop shadows from killing any human that left a building at nightfall. _

_A few years after the shadows had begun to terrorize the city, some of the children started to be born with marks. The marks looked more like tattoos then anything and were found different places all over the body. These marks signified that the child they belonged to were in fact not completely human. Despite who their parents were, these children were born mostly human probably about fifty to eighty percent. The other twenty to forty percent was shadow DNA; it gives the children their strength, speed, and agility. Along with all the power they gain, they also had the instincts and short temper shadows had. These children are taken from their homes and a forced to help fight against the retched shadows until either the war was over or they die and are known as shadow hunters. All except one._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

_Tick__, tock, tick, tock_; I listened to the slow ticking of the clock that was ten minutes off. I currently sat in the most boring class ever to exist, Fallings High AP English class. It was the last period of the day and right last lunch, so everyone in the class was either falling asleep or were talking nonstop to their friends. The teacher of the class, Mr. Myres, could bore anyone to death with his painful monotone and looked like he was going to pass on any day now.

No one else paid attention in his class except for a couple people in the class. I was no exception, I paid attention occasionally but most the time I just day dreamed and doodled when I should take notes.

"Miss Walker" Mr. Myres snapped; it was as strange as it sounded because he said a monotone as usual.

"Huh?" I asked snapping back into reality, I could stop thinking about how much I wanted night to come. It was strange, everyone in our city absolutely hated nighttime due to the shadows, even the shadow hunters. But I have always been a rebellious type.

"Would you please answer the question?" His voice made me want to kill something. _'Seriously, how can a man only have one tone for speech?' _I yelled in my head, I could feel a familiar dark aura begin to surround me but quickly made it disappear before anyone noticed.

I looked up at the board, seeing a jumble of numbers and symbols "Uh…" I started not having the slightest clue on what the answer was. Thankfully someone must have been watching out for me because right before I made a complete idiot of myself, the bell rang marking the end for school for the day.

As the beautiful yet annoying bet flew through the school, people jumped out of their seats and rushed out the door only leaving behind gust of wind and a few discarded papers. I hopped up not shortly after, happy to soon be out of this hell hole we called school.

I dug through my backpack to find my iPod. I shoved the ear buds into my ears any changed it to one of my favorite bands _Blink 182_. I stuffed my iPod in to my pocket and made my way out the building. Walking while quietly singing to _Online Songs_, I hurried to Ms. Carter's house to take a shower and get to work. Ms. Elizabeth Carter was my adoptive mother and has been for ten years. She also adopted two other children and had one herself. The oldest was Chris; he was Elizabeth's blood related son and turned out to be a shadow hunter. He comes by when he can but it's not often. Next oldest was me, then Andy and lastly Angela.

"Hey I'm home" I yelled to no one in particular as I entered my house.

"Hey Nay, how was school? I'm in the kitchen with Chris" Elizabeth responded for the kitchen, her voice echoed through the hallways of our house. I followed the voice to the kitchen to find a woman in her mid-forties that I recognized to be Elizabeth and a tall man in his early twenties, Chris.

"Good to see your back home Chris" I nodded, smiling. Around like shadow hunters and people we don't trust very much, Chris and I acted very distant toward each other. But when we were around friends and family, Chris was my best friend and overprotective big brother. Chris was the only person I had ever trusted with my big secret besides Elizabeth.

"It's good to see you to Nay" He gave me a hug and a nuggie "Good to see you still in one piece"

I growled at the nuggie, I forced my way out of it "As much as I'd love to stay and chat I have to get to work"

Quickly, I made my way upstairs, grabbed my work clothes before taking a shower. I locked the door, and turned on the shower checking the water temperature so it would be scolding or freezing when I got in. I removed the tight hairband for my red locks, the long hair falling down to my shoulder blades. I sang to my favorite songs as I cleaned all the dirt and grime off me from school. Just as quickly as I hopped in the shower, I got out; drying me and pulling my hair ball up in its usual ponytail.

As looked in the mirror I was forced again to remember that I would never be normal. Over my heart lay the markings of a shadow hunter. The tattoo like markings ran over my heart and ran around my left arm in a looping pattern; it ended about at my wrist. Also along with the tattoos I was born with piercing golden eyes, much like the ones shadows had. I was a rogue shadow hunter no one knew existed.

"Naomi if you don't hurry up you're gonna be late" Elizabeth reminded me from downstairs, snapping me out of my daydreams once again. I slipped my work clothes on and ran out the door.

I worked at a pizzeria near the edge of town. It wasn't the nicest place; there were large cracks in the foundation and the walls giving it a very unappealing appearance. Lucky for the pizzeria, all other pizza shops either made bad pizza or on the opposite end of town. The pizzeria's name was Leo's Pizza, like hundreds of other existing pizzeria. I was a waitress at Leo's.

I ran into Leo's, tying on my waitress apron and clocking in inside the staff room.

"You're cutting in close, Naomi" A husky voice tsked behind me, causing me to jump. I spun around to see a tall midnight black haired teen with dark cobalt pools for eye. I glared at him.

"Dammit Blake! Would it kill you not to sneak up on me?" I yelled, temped to wound him for scaring me. Blake was one of my co-workers, my classmate and a shadow hunter like Chris except Blake seemed to have more freedom than Chris when it came to going their outside lives. He loved to annoy the hell out of me whatever chance he got. As annoying as he was, Blake was the closest thing to a friend I had.

Blake smirked, obviously happy with his job well done "Because your reaction is oh so funny, besides you know you love our daily banter"

I rolled my eyes, pulling out notepad and tuck my pen behind my ear getting ready to start my shift "Oh of course, I love people scaring me half to death every day"

He chuckled deeply "I knew it"

I shook my head to his stupidity and began my shift. _'Just like every other day' _I thought with a bitter-sweet tone. I didn't realize until later how wrong I was.

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><p><strong>PLEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE REVIEW!<strong>

**-OZ the Magician **


	2. Chapter 2

**Read. Review. Suggestions are welcome. **

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

My shift at Leo's ended about a few minutes before sundown, so I had to lock up and make it home before the shadows reappeared. Elizabeth, Chris and Blake have scolded in some way for working until basically nightfall. It wouldn't make a difference when I ended work because, once it was night, I was outside like all the other shadow hunters. Before I left, I turn off the cameras and changed out of my ratty work clothes and into a black top that was easy to move around in and black pants that were also stretchy. Finally, I put on a mask that covered from the end of my nose to my hairline, making my identity a mystery.

Why did I hide my face? It was simple actually; I absolutely, positively hated the Shadow Hunter Society or S.H.S for short. They destroy lives, childhoods and any change of normalcy.

'_A minute 'till sundown'_ I reminded myself, watching the Sun slowly fall across the horizon the beautiful colors painting the sky disappearing with it _'Five…four…three…two…go time'_

Once the Sun finally fell past the skyline, every shadow began to rise. They opened their piercing golden and began to looking for any humans staying past curfew, their eyes stopping when they saw me.

"Didn't your parents yell you not to go out at night?" A more advanced shadow cackled, its fingers began to resemble claws more than hands.

I smirked and got into a defensive position, pulling out a small knife I carried for shadow hunting "I wouldn't know but, that's beside the point"

"And what is the point?" The shadow taunted.

"That you have stayed longer that you're welcome. Now you must die" My voice was cold and serious. I felt adrenaline start to pump through my veins activating my shadow powers and heightening my senses, greatening my strength and agility.

I made the first move, knowing if I didn't in this ten to one fight, I would lose. I dashed toward one of the weaker ones, gripping my hands on either side of his head and turning it sharply. Once I heard a snap he fell to the ground, he slowly faded away back, becoming one with the night. After I had killed the weaker one, all Hell seemed to break lose as they all charged me at once. I dodged many punches and claws, and the wounds that I had received from the few blows that were landed I couldn't feel because of the adrenaline rush. I held me knife firmly in my hand as I stand and killed the shadows as they left their guard down. By the time twenty minutes had passed, only the one that had talked was alive.

"Heh, you're strong than I gave you credit for shadow hunter. Of course you are still weak" The shadow admitted in a cocky tone, obviously still thinking he could beat me.

"And you're weaker than I gave you credit for" I smirked spinning my knife in my hand, waiting in a ready stance. Now that it was a one on one it would be stupid to make the first move.

"We'll see about that" He growled and charged toward me like a speeding bullet. My eyes widened slightly, not enough for anyone to tell, at his speed. He was moving too fast to dodge.

"Ah!" I yelped, the shadow a slashed his claws across my torso. The wound began to bleed but lucky for me it wasn't a deep wound. Despite the wounds not being very deep, they hurt like crazy forcing me to my knees and a held me wound.

"Like I said, weak" He laughed cruelly, before walking away leaving defeated…or so he through.

Ever though my body screamed at me to stop, I got up slowly and followed the shadow from a distance. I trailed him for about five minutes until, the worst possible thing that happened, happened. A child wandered out of their house a night. The shadow laughed maniacally saying something I didn't hear and advanced toward the child. The child looked terrified.

"Well isn't today just my lucky day" I heard the shadow say as I quietly walked closer to him. The child went from looking at it to me and gave a sigh of relief, somehow knowing I was a shadow hunter.

The shadow seemed to get confused by the kid's actions and turned around only to be acquainted with my fist. I smirked as I got him off balance, and took this chance to jump onto him and stabbed him in the chest.

"Y-you" Blood slipped out of the side of his mouth, as his golden eyes widened in shock.

"I told you, you are weaker than me" I whispered before twisting my knife finally killing him. _'May you rest in peace'_ I thought as I got off of him, even though I hated the shadows for slaughtering the innocent I believe they shouldn't be forced to go to Hell. It was just what they were born to do.

"You okay kid?" I asked, standing up slowly, my wounds were finally starting to take their taking their toll, not full force yell though.

"Yes, thank you…" He trailed off realizing he hadn't caught my name.

"Zero" I said using the first name that popped into my head "My name's Zero"

"Ah, well are you a shadow hunter?" He asked standing up. Once he stood up I realized he wasn't a child, instead, he was at least in eighth grade.

"Yeah" I responded after careful thought. This kid knew something.

"I haven't seen you at the Grey Society, are you new?" I froze at the question. I was right about the kid, he knew something; too much for my liking. He worked for the Society, only society members actually called the society the 'Grey Society'.

I was about to run away when two strong arms came up behind me, enabling me from moving no matter how much I struggled. The kid sighed.

"So I'm guessing you don't belong to the Grey Society?" The kid asked, ever though he clearly understood the answer. I didn't answer, I only growled in response.

Finally, my wound took full force. I cried in pure agony. The person behind me was obviously surprised and let go of me immediately; I dropped back down to the ground and hugged my knees to my chest. I hated feeling his weak but the pain was only allowing me to focus on the pain.

"I'll carry her back to the society. You call the society at tell them to be ready with a nurse when we get there" A husky, familiar voice commanded.

I tried to figure out who the voice belonged to but I wasn't able to focus on anything. My vision began to get burry as I was quickly losing my grip on reality. The edges of I eye sight began to fade until all I saw was a dark, unforgiving black. Goodnight.

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><p><strong>Review or I'll send Blake, Chris and Naomi after you! <strong>


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